“[The U.S. response to Erdoğan’s handling of Boğaziçi protests is] really encouraging for all of us who want to see a more democratic and pro-human rights Turkey.”

“While [Biden] will want to treat Turkey as a US partner and cooperate with it wherever possible, that cooperation will ultimately depend on, and be restricted by, Erdogan’s own respect for democracy and human rights in Turkey and its neighborhood.”

“If the Trump administration’s goal with this trip was to send Turkey a message about Ankara’s aggressive foreign policy or its disrespect for religious freedom at home, then I think it’s a bit too late for either of those to resonate at this point.”

“Especially if Trump blames the media [for an undesired result in the U.S. presidential election], I can see [Erdogan] coming to Trump’s defense, in the way Putin came to [Erdogan’s defense] on the night of the coup.”

“[Erdogan] knows that in this climate, the Turkish opposition will have a hard time defending Charlie Hebdo’s freedom of expression…and he doesn’t seem to care about what this will cost him vis-a-vis his image in European democracies.”

“[Erdogan’s foreign policy] interests are now fanning the flames of hyper-nationalism and polarisation, while making people feel like they are under attack from external and internal enemies. This is how the Erdoğan government thrives and survives.”

“[For Turkey to] chart a truly independent policy is a fantasy. Turkey is not becoming more independent, it is just becoming more dependent on worse actors on the international stage.”

“What’s going to happen with U.S.-Turkish relations after Trump leaves? It’s going to necessarily be very different from Trump’s attitude toward Turkey.”